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Chinese American ace

Discussion in 'The CBI Theater' started by chromeboomerang, Jan 27, 2007.

  1. chromeboomerang

    chromeboomerang New Member

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    Oregon's first "Ace" was Chinese-American. He flew combat 1937-40 in Curtiss Hawk II and Gloster Gladiator biplanes and sent 8.5 "Sons of Nippon" (with associates) to the proper reward, even rammed an A5M, his Gladiator folded it's wings but he managed to parachute safely. He got his Pilot's License in Portland, but was in a contingent sent to Germany for advanced instruction in 1936 and he spoke of flying Arados and Heinkel "ein und funfzig" fighters!

    Sorry, don't have his name, this was all I got. Anyone have more data?
     
  2. TA152

    TA152 Ace

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  3. Bill Murray

    Bill Murray Member

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  4. TA152

    TA152 Ace

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    To add insult to injury they made him a transport pilot after being a fighter pilot. I bet he was angry over that.
     
  5. Bill Murray

    Bill Murray Member

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    Found another site regarding the major that seems a little more detailed, evidently Major Chin was discharged from the Chinese Air Force prior to the end of the war. Could this perhaps be due in part to his injuries? According to the site it was as a US Army Air Forces officer that he flew transports. Unfortunately it is not clear why he was discharged before the end of the war. Now I'm curious and gonna see if I can't find anything more about why.

    http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/china_chin.htm
     
  6. chromeboomerang

    chromeboomerang New Member

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    Neat stuff. Perhaps it was because of his injuries he was transferred to trabsport planes?

    Wonder why he got training in Germany?
     
  7. Flying Tiger

    Flying Tiger Member

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    I havent heard of a chinese american ace before, In less it was part of the Flying tigers.
     
  8. skunk works

    skunk works Ace

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    I know of another Chinese American Fighter Pilot, not an ace but he did his part as well.
    Lt. Wah Kau Kong of the 353rd, flying a P-51B. Unfortunatuly killed over Blomberg Germany 02/22/44.
    All who knew him said he was a great guy, and had a sense of humor to.
    His plane was named "Chinaman Chance" on one side, and "No Tickee No Washee" on the other.
    Born in Honolulu and shot down one FW-190, before one got him a month later. Was written up in Time magazine the month he died.
    Working towards a Masters in Chemistry at University of Honolulu, and scored the highest ever in the entrance exam.
    American...all the way!
     
  9. nuvolari

    nuvolari Member

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    If the P-40 is rated as one of the best Allied aircraft of WW2, then no wonder it took us five bloody years to beat the Axis !!!
     
  10. nuvolari

    nuvolari Member

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    He did well to get out of a bi-plane that folded it's wings !
     
  11. Amrit

    Amrit Member

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  12. fer-de-lance

    fer-de-lance Member

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    Had the privilege to interview Art in the late '80s.

    He told me he put his feet against the instrument panel and pushed. Before he was able to do that, he had struck his head a few times against the canopy of his wildly tumbling Gladiator.

    Art along with a number of Chinese-American young men including John Wong and Clifford Louie had received basic flight training at Swan Island near Portland on a Fleet trainer purchased by donations from the Portland Chinese community. Art and John returned to Kwangtung Province in China and joined the Provincial (i.e. warlord) Air Force. The Cantonese Air Force had close ties with the Luftwaffe. Art and John were amongst four Cantonese Air Force pilots sent to Lager Lechtfeld for advanced training.

    John Wong indicated in a letter to me that they received gunnery training from the Germans which served him (and Art) well in the Sino-Japanese War.

    If you think Luftwaffe-trained pilots shooting down JNAF planes and making ace is strange ... a pilot from the neighboring Kwangsi Province received advanced training with the JAAF at Akeno. This pilot named Chu, Chia-hsun, scored at least 5 kills (confirmed by Japanese records) including a JAAF Ki-2 bomber and a Ki-27 fighter.
     
  13. Flying Tiger

    Flying Tiger Member

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    well if that was off the sig, then that is my opinion. P-40 was mostly against the Japanese. The spit, and mustang were as well, but in the Europeon theater of the war. Anyways sorry about going off topic.
     

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